Bandruí - Book 2 - L.M.

Prologue: Complicated

For the past three months, Angie hadn't seen much of anyone other than Derek and Isaac, but considering the clear message she had been left in her yard by the alpha pack and the fact that none of them had heard from Erica and Boyd for weeks now, it was safe to assume they weren't missing anymore - they were taken. So, there she was, risking her neck and running around with Derek once again. Sure, he knew she didn't want to be part of his pack anymore, but Isaac still was and she was friends with him, so Derek assumed she at least enjoyed being around them. And he did hope she enjoyed his company still to consider him at least a friend, if not an alpha. But, one way or the other, Derek wasn't surprised Angie was ready to drop everything at all times to look for Erica - they hadn't had the time they had deserved - and most of it had been Derek's fault - but they still cared for one another deeply and, if Angie thought there was even a slight chance that she could help her, she would take it.

And Derek didn't want to burn out Angie too quickly, but, at the same time, he still didn't want to put Scott in more trouble than he already had, so he had gotten Isaac and Angie to swear not to tell him - or Stiles, which, in a way, was pretty much the same thing - anything. So they didn't. And, in fact, Derek had realized, they hadn't even talked to them much at all. Not that Scott hadn't tried to contact Angie, the girl just chosen not to answer his calls. Just like Derek, she knew what was about to come and if she could keep him and Stiles from it, she would.

She would've ignore everyone during summer while she was helping out Derek, but there was one person that she just couldn't ignore and, surprisingly enough, that person was Lydia Martin.

Pretty much everyone else around her was shocked, to say the least, that, out of everyone in Beacon Hills, Angelina Bright decided to befriend Lydia Martin, but Angie didn't particularly mind. She enjoyed the times Lydia would call her and ask her to meet her at a small cafe near her house. She enjoyed the talks they would have and the laughs they would share. She even enjoyed when Lydia would ask her questions regarding the supernatural, now that she was completely immerse in it and, if she could, she answer her with as much detail as possible - after all, if anyone deserved to know how the supernatural world worked, it was the person who had been affected by it the most without even knowing it. And, sure, Angie knew Lydia was calling her so much because Allison wasn't around, but she didn't actually mind. As much as Lydia was using her as a substitute to the girl she liked to call her "best friend", in a weird, twisted way, Angie was pretty sure she was using Lydia as a substitute for Erica as well.

So Angie didn't really mind the fact Lydia used her without even noticing it. Well, she didn't care as long as Lydia didn't bring Argent up in conversation. And she tried to hide it, most of the time, but whenever the girl was even mentioned, Angie couldn't help the scowl that came up to her face.

"You really don't like her, do you?" Lydia asked, half-apologetic when she noticed her conversation had shifted once again to Allison and her adventures in France with her dad.

"I kind of have my reasons." She mumbled, taking a sip of her coffee and shrugging when Lydia raised an eyebrow at her. Maybe the fact that she shot one of her arrows at me, she thought bitterly, but bit her tongue before the words could come tumbling out of her lips. "Never mind that, though. You like her, she seems to like you, that's all that matters."

Lydia squinted her eyes at her a little, biting her lip for a second but sighing when Angie looked away from her and out of the window beside her. Lydia took a second to look her over, enjoying very much the way the morning sun reflected in her dark skin and shined against her brown eyes. She liked the way her curls of hair fell on her face but Lydia noticed the way they were looking a little messier than usual, almost as if she hadn't had the time to care for them for a while. And, judging by the bags under her eyes, Lydia was pretty sure she actually hadn't.

"Well, fine. I'm sorry, though." Lydia gave in eventually, taking a sip of her coffee herself before tilting her head a little as she looked over at Angie across the table from her. "So instead of just hearing me speak, why don't you tell me a little about your summer instead?"

"My summer?" Angie almost felt herself laughing.

After all, how could she even tell Lydia what she had been up to? Looking for two of her old friends turned enemies turned... Strangers at some point while fearing for her life knowing that, now that the alpha pack was back in town, a piece of her own past had come along with them. She didn't want to risk Lydia's life if hers was already in line so, if she had decided not to tell Scott, she decided she wouldn't be telling Lydia either. At least, not for now.

"Scott said you're not picking up his calls. Or Stiles'." Lydia commented. "Or answering their texts. Are you avoiding them?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?" Angie asked, giggling quietly when Lydia sent her a look. "It's just... It's complicated."

"Supernatural complicated or too-personal-to-be-shared complicated?" She asked.

"A bit of both, actually." Angie mumbled, looking down at her cup of coffee for a moment. "It's just... It's complicated."

"Well, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Lydia said and Angie smiled, lifting her eyes again to meet Lydia's, clearly grateful for her understanding. "But if you ever do, you know we can have another coffee date, right?"

"Any time?" She asked, almost surprised as Lydia shrugged nonchalantly and brought her coffee back to her lips.

"Considering you were pretty much the only one there for me last year whenever I needed you the most, yes." She nodded with a gentle, genuine smile that very few people had seen from Lydia Martin before. "We can set up a coffee date anytime you want."